Thursday, March 31, 2005

I can't remember which film Martha and I saw first: My Beautiful Laundrette or A Room With A View (I think it was the latter). We saw them quite close together in Ottawa, in 1986, and were dumbstruck to realize Daniel Day-Lewis was in both of them. Now, that's contrast.

After that kind of debut, Day-Lewis has been choosy, to say the least, with his roles. The Washington Post catches up with him as his newest (and P.E.I.-shot) film, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, opens.

I taped my last segment for Food Chain Wednesday, which has been running on CBC's digital channel Country Canada for the last two seasons. The show has been cancelled, and will be airing repeat episodes for the remainder of the season.

It was a fun but exhausting show to work on; I left in October to join CBC News Online (and to move downtown, to the radio building), but chipped in every week with a segment. Fortunately, no one is out the door. Three positions were declared redundant, but some vacancies and shuffling have meant no one will lose work.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

I walked home again from work Tuesday; only the second time in recent weeks I've bothered to do so. A different route this time, but the same time: 45 minutes.

I'm hoping this will become a regular event. One surprise of working downtown is how much less I walk - part of the reason for that is that practically everything I need is at my desk. My handy dandy pedometer tells me I take less than half the number of steps I did, say, last September.

Those who know downtown St. John's know its hills, and how your calves and thighs get to know it well. Hopefully, I'll be all over them in the weeks to come ... weather notwithstanding.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

It's always a matter of coincidence, but i'm often intrigued to see who shares a birthday. And not just a birthday, but a date of birth. John Major, the former British prime minister, and Eric Idle, famous once more with Spamalot, his Broadway reworking of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, both turn 61 today. How's that for contrast?

To learn more about the film was made, I was naturally curious to see what was online, and there's plenty more to find at Pixar's website. This feature, for instance, profiles some of the artists and technicians who work on films like The Incredibles. Whether you're an animation buff or not, you're bound to learn something.

There are plenty of other places on the web, of course, where you can learn about animation, study art and even indulge your superhero fantasies.

From A-Man to Zot, Toonopedia covers quite a lot of ground for fans of comics books, strips, cartoons and the like. Somehow, I was expecting a zippier layout, but I have to say I was impressed by the sheer amount of stuff to read. And to learn: I had no idea, for instance, that Clifford the Big Red Dog (a favourite in our house a year or two ago) has been panting away, in book form anyway, for more than 40 years.

If I'm not mistaken, this site used to be called I Read The Comics So You Don't Have To. Comics Curmudgeon will also let you know what you can expect. Do you know what always surprises me during each visit? The fact that so many of the comic strips discussed here still exist. Rex Morgan MD? I thought he had taken down his shingle a looong time ago.

Family Circus is another strip that was born in another era, and hasn't exactly kept up with the times. (That is, though, part of its charm.) Nonetheless, Family Circus has been widely parodied, especially over Billy's traced travels around backyards, kitchens and neighbours' houses. Hat's off to the official site for being a good sport and showcasing the parodies in one place.

We're not all about the funnies this week; here's a site for the serious artist. Or for the sandbox … it's your call. Either way, Artpad is quite addictive, and a whole lot of fun. You start with a blank "canvas," and you can "paint" practically anything you like. Try it, and if you do well, send your work to friends and family.

If you like Family Guy, you ought to take this quiz. Without much effort, you should get identified as a Stewie (the infant destined for world domination); in fact,I was trying not to be Stewie, and still wound up as the enfant terrible of them all.

The Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art (yes, there is such a place) has assembled an interesting exhibit based on a simple premise: what did cartoonists draw like when they were kids? The answers vary, but you're likely to be drawn in, pardon the pun, as you look at the samples side-by-side.

Thirty-five years after his death, Rube Goldberg's name is still synonymous with mind-boggling contraptions (are there are any other kinds?) that tackled the most straight-forward of tasks. Check the gallery for some career highlights, or see how Goldberg's memory is honoured in an annual student competition.

Friday, March 25, 2005

I turn 40 in a few days; in advance of that milestone, my friend Ted sent me a list of things I ought to have done by now. Cake was served in the newsroom Thursday morning (thanks Kathy and all), and more cake is on the horizon ... just as long as there are no flamingoes and anything beginning with "Lordy, lordy..."

As for a birthday party, I'm getting together with friends at the Duke on Saturday night, after 9, I guess. If you can drop in, please do.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

I've been spending part of the week contributing to the Teen Age project CBC has been rolling out this week; our regional site includes a piece I wrote about the startling drop in the number of teenagers over the last few decades. We've also posted an interactive quiz about teenagers in Newfoundland history. Have a poke around and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

After winning a World Series (you know, it still feels weird to type that), the Red Sox have earned a new place to play, but I have to say I'm happy they're sticking with Fenway and are planning a makeover.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Or, lockin, that is. For a while, now the provincial government has opted to use the phrase "lockin" in lieu of what might be confused with the jail at the lower depths of the Supreme Court building on Water Street. In any event, another budget has been brought down, with an awful lot of fine print to read.

Chuck Jones' official site features some sayings of the late cartooning legend, including this gem:

"Fog and smog should not be confused and are easily separated by color. Fog is about the color of the insides of an old split wet summer cottage mattress; smog is the color and consistency of a wet potato chip soaked in a motorman's glove."

Sunday, March 20, 2005

I read a while back that the fabled New York City studio The Hit Factory was closing its doors to make way for condos; like other studios, it's hard for even the top-drawer studios to keep running in an era when digital technologies have advanced so far, so soon, that musicians can competently record themselves anywhere - especially at home. In today's New York Times magazine, Jon Pareles has a piece about home recording and its consequences.

A belated note: Ed Riche (a.k.a., Edward Riche, at least on book jackets) won this year's Winterset award, for his novel The Nine Planets. A fellow Muse alumnus, Ed won for his second novel. Runners-up were Joel Hynes (whom I know from the preschool where our sons go) and Ramona Dearing, a colleague from CBC Radio. (Yes, it is a small world in St. John's.)

We went to see the Leafs play last night (and lose, as it turned out). It was the fourth game we've seen this season, but the first we've seen all the way through ... for the three preceding games, we didn't get into the third period, what with a little boy falling asleep or falling cranky, or both. This time, just the two of us. It was nice to see a full game, even with a 2-0 loss.

The Baby Leafs decamp soon for Toronto. Tickets go on sale Monday for the final home game; I imagine it'll be blocked. Last night's game was a few seats short of a full house, and it was loud. Lots and lots of screaming kids. But, not ours.

Friday, March 18, 2005

A friend of mine insists that blogs have had their day: a fad that peaked in 2004. I'm not so sure, although I will bow to the conceit that the novelty has really worn off.

It's also easy to find plenty of examples of blogs ― that's Web logs, for short ― where once-enthusiastic writers have run out of steam, and postings have slowed down dramatically or died off altogether.

But, I think blogging is still coming into its own, or at least evolving into a staple of the online diet.

As Oscars are to the movies and Grammys are to records, the Bloggies are to blogs. Without the worldwide TV audience, weeks of media hype and flashy advertising campaigns by the nominees. The Bloggies were recently handed out for this year. Here's a quick and easy way to sample not only the sheer variety of what's out there, but perhaps find a future favourite. .

Bacon and Ehs ― how Canadian, oui? ― was up for the Best Canadian award at the Bloggies, and while it did not win, it gets my vote as a daily stop. I usually get a smile, plus at least one decent tip a day of a site to visit.

I have to confess: I don’t search blogs very much. I find Google will turn up plenty of results involving blogs (more than I’d like, I have to confess), and I’ve used Daypop (www.daypop.com) sporadically, with success. Here, though, are three ways of keeping track of what’s out there. Technorati is a well-worn tool for bloggers, as you can find out who’s linking to whom. More recently, it allows users to "tag" particular issues, to keep abreast of their interests. Bloogz and Blog Search Engine, I have to confess, did not really turn my crank. Sample queries returned an unsatisfying number of hits.

I visited this site, expecting to spend several minutes. I stayed for half an hour, and have been back twice since. It's kind of addictive. The idea is to lay out the terms you'll encounter in the art world, and you can lay many of your expectations aside. You'll find out about art history, movements, techniques, personalities … not to mention an enormous amount about the science involved in making art. (After all, many artists have to be skilled technicians as well.) This is a fascinatingly educational site.

I may not be a wine connoisseur, but I admit to strong opinions about the care and feeding of a good martini. (This puts me at odds with friends who side with Winston Churchill, who famously said he liked his martinis so dry that he merely glanced across the room at the bottle of vermouth. I don't drown in vermouth, but I like more than a slight mist.) Martinis Online makes people who obsess about olives seem normal. Martini Boys is your guide on where to get fancifully overcharged for what, essentially, is two shots of alcohol, in the cities of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Actually, they cover many other things, from movies to nightlife, but isn't all a prelude to the perfect martini?

Ah, March Madness. For many basketball fans, the pros have long been running second-tier to college hoops, and it all comes to a boil (or boils over) in the next couple of weeks. Saddle up, read up on the stats, and watch the fray.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

CBC Radio is running a comedy contest currently called Stand and Deliver; each region currently has three finalists, competing with a three-minute stand-up routine. Consider this democratic comedy: the public gets to choose the winners.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the three finalists are Petrina Bromley, Dave Sullivan and Jonathon Harris, who've all been kicking around the theatre scene in St. John's. You can listen to their bits online, and then pick a winner. The deadline for the regional draw is Thursday night at midnight.

Monday, March 14, 2005

My Instagram feed

Why Dot Dot Dot?

That is, where did this blog get its name?

Dot Dot Dot is Morse code for the letter 'S,' the full message Guglielmo Marconi claimed to have received atop Signal Hill in St. John's in 1901. It ushered in the age of telecommunications. My maternal grandfather worked as a telegraph operator for Canadian Marconi on Signal Hill for many years.
As well, I have a habit of overusing the ellipsis when I write ... as frequent readers might notice.